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Leg Post 94
In Leg Post 94, Amazons are marching on the Otretrianan Longhouse. When they gather outside, they are expecting some response from Pentheseleia, who recently killed Queen Hippolyta in Leg Post 92. One of the tallest, Polemusa, of the Amazons steps forward to shame Pentheseleia for hiding but another in the crowd, Thermodosa, defends her by claiming the death was an accident. As they argue, Bremusa emerges from the crowd with a short sword in her hand and the twin sisters, Evandré and Antandré, on either side of her. Because Bremusa was such a staunch protector of Hippolyta, Polemusa expects Bremusa to side with her against Pentheseleia. Instead, the three Amazons turn on the crowd and assert they will protect Pentheseleia from any who trespass. Bremusa explains that Hippolyta had taken cannabis and was sluggish and clumsy in the fight and Pentheseleia would never have challenged Hippolyta had she known her condition. She insists it was an accident and Pentheseleia is the next heir to the throne of Otreriana. When pressed how long they should wait for Pentheseleia to emerge, Bremusa simply states as long as it takes, which causes great dissatisfaction but the crowd does disperse. Within, Pentheseleia explains to her mammi, the si'la Nakia ibn-bint Ismat ibn-bint Chadi al-Almasi, that she needs to be forgiven for her crime against Hippolyta and wants to travel to find Creusa, her daughter. Nakia forgives Pentheseleia herself but when Pentheseleia seems to undervalue that forgiveness, Nakia admits it took a lot to forgive her daughter as she loved Hippolyta greatly. Pentheseleia insists she needs to be forgiven by someone who owes her nothing and must be forgiven not just for the death but also for preventing Hippolyta her one dream of meeting her estranged daughter. Thus she travels to Troy, along with three Amazon warriors; Alcibie, Hippothoë and Derimacheia. While she rides her own pegasus, named Cnemis, they ride gryphons, as they travel across the Black Sea towards Troy. Post Desire for Clemency People were marching toward the Otrerianan Longhouse. Some were angry, others panicked, but everyone had to know what was going to happen next. The crowd had come to a stop a few metres from the door to the seat of power. Inside was Pentheseleia and her sisters, hiding from the public. It had been days and the Amazons were deprived a leader and as a group of very hot-headed, competitive and proud people, they needed strong leadership. At the front of the gathering, the more rambunctious characters were growing agitated and eager for something to happen. A woman, as big and strong as Hercules himself, shoved past the others to step forward. Her blonde hair was in a very narrow, tight ponytail, sculpted to her skull. Her eyes were painted with white circles around them and her jaw spoke of centuries of warriors’ blood. Even amongst the tall and strong Amazons, many of whom would tower over the average man, she was of an elevated stature. When she spoke, her husky voice was like gravel crunching in her throat. Polemusa: “She hides away from us! Like a simpering pup! She has murdered her own sister and we stand idly by, why!?” Thermodosa: “It was an accident!” Thermodosa, unlike Polemusa, was very short. But what she lacked in height, she made up with pure determination in battle. She would scrap, bite, scratch and claw her way through any physical confrontation with zero consideration for honour or respect. Polemusa: “We only have her word for that! She accidentally kills her sister and becomes queen? We are to accept that, are we?” Thermodosa: “She would have been queen anyway! Queen Hippolyta had no heirs!” Polemusa: “Why wait, when she could have it now!?” Many Amazons were sided with Polemusa. There were no clear facts about the incident aside from the words of Pentheseleia herself and after her initial report, she sealed herself up without word to anyone. Thermodosa: “Just wait until she comes out!” Polemusa: “When will that be!? Tomorrow? A week? A month? What do we do in the meantime? Sit on our hands like cowardly Greek boys?” There was no response to that. Even those that thought as Thermodosa did, were stranded without a leader to step up. Before anyone could get the bright idea to proffer themselves as the new queen, people were moving to allow a black skinned woman march through them. Bremusa wore a stern expression on her face and a short sword in her hand. Polemusa brightened. Polemusa: “Bremusa! Commander! Defender of Queen Hippolyta! Are you going to take charge here? Pentheseleia must be brought to justice for her crime!” Bremusa, and two other determined warriors, stepped forward, towards the longhouse with their swords drawn. Thermodosa: “The queen wouldn’t want her sister harmed!” Polemusa: “She also wouldn’t want to be killed by her sister!” Bremusa: “Are you both ready?” Antandré: “Always ready.” Evandré: “In the name of Queen Hippolyta!” The three of them turned to face the crowd and held their swords at the ready. Bremusa: “Should any woman here feel the need to cross the threshold of this building, know this-! We shall cut down any and all of you!” Polemusa: “What!? You would defend the pretender!?” Bremusa: “We know of no pretender! Only the rightful Queen of the Amazons, next in the line of succession.” Polemusa: “But you defended Hippolyta! You defended her when all of us would have thrown her out! And now you defend her murderer!?” Bremusa: “Hippolyta was on pain medication and emotionally broken. Pentheseleia didn’t know that. They fought in an unfair match. Pentheseleia would not have attacked the queen if she had known. The deed is now done. Hippolyta would forgive her sister, as she… forgave me.” There was some murmuring. It was common knowledge that Hippolyta held great animosity towards Bremusa, for what she had done. Polemusa appeared eager to challenge Bremusa, but also weary that she may be in the wrong. She was strong and ambitious, but she didn’t care to become a villain. Polemusa: “If what you say is true, why isn’t she here to explain herself?” Bremusa: “She accidentally killed her sister.” She didn’t feel she needed to expand on that. Polemusa: “And how long are we to wait?” Bremusa: “As long as it takes.” This caused more unsettled murmuring. They might have been swayed by Bremusa’s dedication, but they were not swayed enough to wait forever. Yet, the three warriors stood steadfast as a thin line between the crowd and the longhouse. Their position was suicide, everyone saw. Should the Amazons decide to move against Pentheseleia, the three would be no match for so many, strong and fearless warriors. But that willingness to sacrifice themselves burned within the hearts of every Amazon warrior in the throng. Polemusa: “Then… we wait.” She backed off. Polemusa: “For now.” Some were satisfied enough to leave and return to their duties, while others remained and gossiped or plotted. There were a lot of si’la around, who had come to see what their strong warrior-wives were getting into a frenzy over, as well as gaggles of girls who were eager to see some real fighting. Their excitement reached its peak with the arrival of Bremusa but they were now disappointed and left to chase each other around or fight with sticks in the imaginary version of the battle they had been hoping to witness. Nakia: “I don’t know if there will be a throne for you when you return, my pet.” Pentheseleia: “I don’t care. I need to set things right. I need… I need absolution. I need forgiveness. From someone. Anyone willing to forgive me.” Nakia: “I forgive you.” Pentheseleia: “You don’t count.” Nakia: “That’s mean.” Pentheseleia: “I could have butchered her to pieces and you’d forgive me, your my mammi.” Nakia narrowed her eyes. Nakia: “I wouldn’t go that far. She was my daughter too, you know?” Pentheseleia stalled. Pentheseleia: “I-I’m sorry, mammi. I…” Nakia straightened her spine, as though a better posture would help her keep from crying. Nakia: “I loved her very much. With you and my other girls, it was easy. You loved me because I am your kin. Lyta had no prior relationship, no reason to love me. But she did anyway. I was—she was just like her—you took her from me. If you think they are angry outside, you know nothing of what goes on in my chest. Do not underappreciate my forgiveness, Leia. It has been difficult to muster it.” Pentheseleia: “I am sorry, mammi. I am.” There was a moment of silence in the bedroom. Nakia was sat up in her bed. She had been feeling ill, which she knew was the emotional storm belting within her, and stayed in bed for the day. Pentheseleia toyed with one of Nakia’s hairbrushes as she tried to think of what she should do. Pentheseleia: “I’m sorry that your forgiveness isn’t enough, mammi. I need it from someone who holds me no love. No respect. I need forgiveness for more than what I did… I need forgiveness for my thinking. I was wrong. All along. I should have been more open to Lyta. I… I… she didn’t get to…” She quickly wiped her own tears away and turned to look at the mirror. Pentheseleia: “She didn’t see her daughter, mammi. That’s all she even wanted. I didn’t just kill her physically, I killed her spiritually. I took that away from her and from my niece. I need to see her. Even if she doesn’t forgive me, at least I can relay the news myself…” Nakia: “Come here, my baby.” Pentheseleia obeyed and slipped into her mammi’s arms. She wept, openly now, as did Nakia. Through it, the si’la managed to say; Nakia: “I approve, Leia. Go and find Creusa. What will be here, will be.” Pentheseleia packed and set off, with just three warriors at her side, to venture to Troy in search of Creusa. For her valour and loyalty, Bremusa was left in command in her absence. She had not been crowned as queen, yet, but Bremusa had ever intention of Pentheseleia of being Queen of the Amazons upon her return. The other Amazons were placated by Bremusa’s role and settled into their routines again, though they constantly sought word of their missing, uncrowned princess. While Bremusa was aided by the twins – Andandré and Evandré – Polemusa took the role now vacated by Bremusa. She launched several assaults upon the Scythian cities as a show of force; Hippolyta the Great was gone, but the Amazons were still here. Pentheseleia travelled across the Black Sea from the back of her pegasus; Cnemis. He was a great, black stallion with wings as dark as the night sky but a mane of flaming orange. With her were three warriors; Alcibie, Hippothoë and Derimacheia. Their duty was as much to protect Pentheseleia from others as herself, for Bremusa and Nakia feared what she might do if she failed to find clemency. The three of them were gryphon riders. The pegasus was a temperate beast with more tolerance for long flights, but the gryphons were less domesticated and needed to hunt for food more often than the pegasus needed to graze. Aerial hunts became a part of the daily routine as the gryphons preyed upon kestrels and eagles and other large birds. Their journey across the Black Sea, where they stayed close to the western coast for the sake of landing, was long and they then had to cross the northern peninsula of Anatolia to reach Troy, which lurked in the far west next to the Aegean Sea and the Greek City States. They pressed on, however, to that city which was now infamous amongst Otreriana. Notes Britt's Commentary "In the original myth, PentheseleiaPenthesilea article, Wikipedia. seeks out King PriamPriam article, Wikipedia. for absolution over the death of HippolytaHippolyta article, Wikipedia.. This is sought because of his position, rather than a personal request for forgiveness. Some of the named Amazons here are names of the twelve Amazon warriors that joined Pentheseleia in the Troajan WarTrojan War article, Wikipedia., though I have altered some of the names to better differentiate them." ~ Britt the Writer References External References Category:Post Category:Leg Post